Witness list for Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing on NAHASDA bill

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A view of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs in Room 628 of the Senate Dirksen Office Building in Washington, D.C. Photo by Indianz.Com (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

Tuesday, July 21, 2026

Indianz.Com

UPDATE

On the afternoon of July 22, 2026, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs announced that the Legislative Hearing to receive testimony on S.4276 has been postponed. The business meeting is still expected to take place.

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is taking testimony on a bill to reauthorize the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act, a federal law commonly known as NAHASDA.

NAHASDA provides tribes with greater authority to develop housing projects on their lands. The U.S. Congress, however, has failed to reauthorize the law following its expiration in September 2013.

Enter S.4276, the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Modernization Act of 2026. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), the Republican chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, introduced the bipartisan bill on March 26, 2026, in order to update NAHASDA for the first time in more than a decade.

“For more than a decade, I’ve worked on NAHASDA and heard directly from Native families about how the lack of safe, affordable housing affects every part of daily life. As Congress continues its efforts to address housing challenges around the country, we cannot leave Native communities behind. The federal government has a trust responsibility to ensure Tribes have the tools to meet the housing needs of their people,” said Murkowski. “I’m proud to have worked alongside Tribal leaders and stakeholders in Alaska and across the country to identify practical solutions. By cutting red tape and providing greater flexibility, we can help communities provide housing that fits their unique needs and supports long-term stability.”

“Over the past 30 years, NAHASDA has delivered billions of dollars in federal funding to improve Native housing in Hawai‘i and across the country,” said Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), the Democratic vice chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. “Our bill reflects what Native communities asked for: better tools and flexibilities to make homeownership and stable housing a reality for more families. I thank Chairman Murkowski for her partnership and all the Native leaders and organizations who helped make this bipartisan legislation even stronger.”

For the first hearing on S.4276, the committee will hear from three witnesses. They are:

The Honorable Chuck Hoskin Jr.
Principal Chief
Cherokee Nation
Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Ms. Hilary Atkin
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Native American Programs, Office of Public and Indian Housing
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Washington, DC

Dr. Alicia Puente Cackley
Director, Financial Markets and Community Investment
Government Accountability Office
Washington, DC

The hearing takes place immediately following a business meeting at 2pm Eastern in Room 628 of the Senate Dirksen Office Building. The meeting is to consider the nomination of Mark Cruz to be director of the Indian Health Service.

A livestream will be available at indian.senate.gov.

Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Notice

Business Meeting to consider Mark Cruz to be Director of the Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services & Legislative Hearing to receive testimony on S.4276 (July 22, 2026)